high-quality
public schools for
los angeles students
The children of Los Angeles deserve the absolute best. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who cares about education in our city, to hear that while there are many bright spots to celebrate, too many of our schools have a lot of room left to grow. Many people from diverse backgrounds have dedicated their lives to that growth, whether as teachers, involved parents, policymakers, or as activists and advocates. Great Public Schools Now is a new organization designed to help reach the goal shared by every single one of these groups – increased access to quality education for all students, regardless of what zip code they live in. And to do it with a sense of urgency and relentless commitment that will require a broad vision, coupled with a laser-like focus, to re-vision what the future of the Los Angeles should look like so we can continue to thrive as a great city. Making great schools isn’t about just one model of success. It’s about finding what works, and making sure as many students as possible get access to real, equity-based solutions. As a single mom trying to find the best schools for my own 10-year-old son, I live the challenges and tensions faced by so many parents – finding a school that brings out the best in my son as a learner, a rigorous program that will lead to college attainment and success, and a school culture where his whole, unique self is affirmed and valued, while staying radically committed to public education. That’s why it’s so important to me to work on meeting these challenges – all of our children deserve nothing less. Yes, it’s personal. In the coming pages, you’ll find a new, community-centric plan for improving schools across the region – regardless of governance model, curricular orientation or operational platform This plan is designed to give parents in low-income areas a real choice, real access for their kids, while preserving and augmenting things that are working today. I look forward to working with advocates and stakeholders in the weeks and months ahead to put this plan into action and continuing to refine and drive toward a path forward for Los Angeles. This is our city. All kids our ‘our kids.’ We owe them the urgency of now to make progress toward real fairness and equity in education. They can’t – and we won’t – wait any longer. Adelante!
Myrna Castrejón executive director great public schools now
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great public schools now: high-quality
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executive summary Far too many families in Greater Los Angeles struggle to access a great public school in their neighborhood. Despite improvements in public education over the past decade, far too many students across Southern California are attending schools that leave them unprepared for the future. Recognizing the urgency of the problem, Great Public Schools Now was formed to support the replication of successful public schools, regardless of school governance type, in communities of need. The effort will seek to augment their capacity by adding to their existing enrollment or by starting a new school. Great Public Schools Now will focus on ten neighborhoods across Greater Los Angeles where the prevalence of free and reduced lunch and local income levels intersect with chronically underperforming schools and few high quality school choices for struggling families. In these areas of low opportunity, more than 160,000 students are stuck in under-performing schools that are not preparing them for the success of which they are capable. Our goal is to dramatically increase the number of high-quality public schools in these and other high-need neighborhoods where similar conditions prevail, and strengthen the environment to support high achievement for all Los Angeles students, whether by duplicating best practices, providing needed material support, or expanding capacity for enrollment. Great Public Schools Now has identified four funding priorities that will help the expansion of high-quality public schools to carry out its mission.
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1 Community outreach and engagement Great Public Schools Now envisions a multiyear effort that honors families’ engagement and authentic advocacy for greater equity and access to great schools. Engaging directly with stakeholders, Great Public Schools Now will support the growth or creation of schools with the participation of local communities. The Great Public Schools Now team plans to spend significant time and energy reaching out to parents and community members to better understand the kinds of schools they want for their children. Parent voices are far too frequently absent from discussions about Los Angeles’ school system.
Moreover, Great Public Schools Now will collaborate with the district and city leaders to create an environment supportive of the growth and sustainability of high-performing public schools. This includes facilitating an active coalition of political, business, faith, civic, district, teacher and parent leaders that supports policies that will benefit all students, and craft a childrenfirst agenda for Los Angeles.
2 Teacher and leadership pipeline and support Los Angeles is fortunate to have thousands of skilled teachers and school leaders who are committed to ensuring that every child receives an excellent education. However, enrollment in teacher preparation programs across the state is rapidly declining. Great Public Schools Now is committed to helping schools recruit a teaching and principal cadre that is diverse—in terms of experience and racial and socioeconomic background—and that can fill historically hardto-staff positions in science, mathematics and special education. It is equally important to support school leaders in creating the conditions within schools to retain high performers and to develop teacher leaders to serve in critical roles as grade level and department chairs, mentors and to become the next generation of school leaders. Great Public Schools Now will also seek to support future school leaders and provide ongoing support and coaching to current principals
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great public schools now: high-quality
working in GPSN partner public schools, and Great Public Schools Now hopes to work with existing and new organizations to better prepare and support Los Angeles public school teachers. This may include grants to traditional and alternative-route teacher preparation programs (e.g., teacher residencies and intern programs) and partnerships with other pre-service training organizations. For school leaders, Great Public Schools Now will support organizations that provide differentiated training programs for rising leaders for new district or charter public schools and coaching for returning principals for new charter or district schools to improve their practice, develop opportunities for teacher leaders and create the conditions that not only enhance student success (such as providing better coaching and support for teachers) but also retain and encourage the input of high-performing teachers.
public schools for los angeles students
3 Facilities Every student in Los Angeles has the right to learn in a safe, clean, positive learning environment. Yet identifying and securing adequate facilities remains the most significant barrier to opening new charter public schools in Greater Los Angeles.
Great Public Schools Now will employ a range of solutions to assist charter public schools in financing long-term or permanent facilities, including subsidizing lease and debt service costs directly or by providing grants to nonprofit real estate developers. Great Public Schools Now may also seek to incentivize collaboration by mitigating some of the costs of co-location on district operated and independent charter public schools.
4 School replication grants for all types of schools Great Public Schools Now plans to support the growth or expansion of high-quality public schools or proposed schools with the potential to be high-quality in Los Angeles neighborhoods with the greatest need (i.e., those where large numbers of low-income families reside and that lack high-quality public school options). Schools that receive grants from Great Public Schools Now may include any type of high-performing public school, including charter public schools, district magnet schools, pilot, Partnership for Los Angeles schools and other district public schools, provided they demonstrate a track record or significant potential to be successful on various performance measures.
The goal of GPSN and this plan is to dramatically increase students’ access to a high quality system of learning – to expand what’s working and serve students well. Every single student that gains access to a high-quality public school constitutes a success for our communities, and as long as there are neighborhoods where students do not have that access, there will be a role for Great Public Schools Now and its efforts.
The goal of Great Public Schools Now and this plan is to dramatically increase students’ access to a high quality system of learning – to expand what’s working and serve students well.
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great public schools now: high-quality
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INTRODUCTION For decades, educators, administrators, and local elected officials have worked tirelessly to serve all students who attend public schools in Greater Los Angeles. While these efforts have moved our public schools forward, they have not advanced far enough or fast enough to serve every student. Today, far too many families struggle to access a great public school and all the opportunity an excellent education provides. Families often face the greatest difficulty accessing a high-quality public school in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. For these families, who recognize that a great education is the ticket to a better life, the lack of access to high-quality public schools for their children has the potential to limit their future. In areas of Greater Los Angeles, poverty, lack of opportunity, and low performing schools form a potent mix that leaves our youth’s potential untapped. More than 160,000 low income students and English Language Learners are enrolled in schools whose performance is so dismal that 80 percent of students are learning below grade level. Middle and upper income families enjoy choices the poor have, quite simply, been denied – the ability to move across zip codes in search of better schools and less strained communities. Los Angeles families seek out higher quality options by the thousands, but the demand far outstrips available seats – more than 40,000 students remain on charter waiting lists and thousands more attempt to enroll in high performing district magnets, but there is simply not enough space for them. In the pursuit of equity, we must do more to increase access.
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Great Public Schools Now was formed in late 2015 to increase access to strong schools and provide a quality education to children across Los Angeles, with an urgent focus on expanding choices in areas of high need and for all types of public schools. The singular goal of Great Public Schools Now is to increase access to high quality public schools, period. It is not to pursue any model of schooling for its own sake. The past ten years of charter growth in Los Angeles, though, have demonstrated that replicating what works is the fastest, most effective means of accelerating
Our goal is to dramatically increase low income families’ access to high quality schools – expand what’s working and serve students well.
the increase in high quality options for families. This organization will catalyze the replication of schools
The following plan describes the work Great Public
that work, regardless of school governance type,
Schools Now intends to do in order to achieve this goal.
model or programmatic orientation. We encourage
It outlines our geographic priorities – ten high-need
and will support the growth of all types of schools –
neighborhoods where too many students are not getting
charter or magnet, pilot or Partnership – as long as they
the education they deserve, and surrounding areas
provide an excellent education to high-need students.
where the demographics and the need are comparable.
Support will either augment their capacity by adding to
It further identifies four funding priorities that will help
their existing enrollment or by starting new schools.
the expansion of high-quality public schools of all types:
Our goal is to dramatically increase low income families’ access to high quality schools – expand what’s working and serve students well. Every single student that gains access to a high-quality public school because of our efforts will constitute a success. And as long as there are neighborhoods where students do not have that access, Great Public Schools Now will continue its efforts.
community outreach and engagement, teacher and leadership support for all Los Angeles, facilities, and school expansion grants. While this plan lays out our funding priorities and strategy, the details of how best to support high-quality public schools, whether district or charter, will continue to evolve as we engage parents, educators, funders, and civic leaders. We welcome your feedback and support, and we hope you will join us in this historic effort to ensure that all Los Angeles students have access to a great public education.
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great public schools now: high-quality
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Our efforts to date Great Public Schools Now began with the belief that
Our poll results showed that Angelenos share our
every student in Los Angeles deserves to have access to
sense of urgency in improving education in the city,
a high-quality public school in his or her neighborhood.
and that the overwhelming majority of those polled
Though funders and Great Public Schools Now’s leaders
support expanding proven education options, including
began with some ideas of how to accomplish this goal,
magnets and charter public schools.
our plans have and will continue to evolve based on feedback from community and education stakeholders.
Great Public Schools Now has also met with over 50 diverse and differentiated community organizations
In 2015, Great Public Schools Now commissioned a poll
to elicit discussion and feedback to shape our vision for
of Los Angeles residents to determine their attitudes
the organization and gain valuable insights on what
toward public education in the city. The poll found
works and what doesn’t work in their communities.
that respondents viewed education as the single most
This community input has informed the plan outlined
important issue facing the city, above job creation,
here, making our strategies more comprehensive and
crime, and infrastructure.
realistic. Ideas like broadening the scope of work to
1
embrace and replicate the ‘bright spots’ in Los Angeles
74%
of voters living within the Los Angeles Unified School District support the expansion of charter public schools in neighborhoods where existing schools
87%
Unified schools that serve high-needs students well, rethinking how to make Los Angeles an attractive place to teach, and identifying the right neighborhoods for focused partnership and working with community
are struggling.
partners emerged from these many conversations
of respondents support “reforming the
In addition to community leaders, Great Public Schools
public education system” in Los Angeles.
Now has begun conversations with Los Angeles
across Los Angeles.
Unified School District leadership to define specific
88%
of respondents favor investing in district
strategies for collaboration that help to bridge traditional
schools through proven programs like
and charter public schools and foster exchanges that
magnet schools.
will improve education across Los Angeles. Great Public Schools Now aims to support avenues for the sharing
69%
of best-practices, and supporting teacher and principal
of respondents want additional
leadership. We are looking forward to continuing these
charter public schools in their own
meetings and expanding them to include other leaders
neighborhoods.
88%
in Greater Los Angeles.
of respondents support making sure
Great Public Schools Now’s outreach is far from
every student in a community with
concluded, and we will continue to meet with additional
an underperforming public school
stakeholders as we continue to shape our efforts to
has an opportunity to attend a higher
expand high-quality options for students.
performing public school.
1 Findings of phone poll of 1,150 Los Angeles voters, conducted in September, 2015, by Mercury LLC and released by the California Charter Schools Association in October 2015.
great public schools now: high-quality
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PACOIMA
VENTURA COUNTY
PANORMAMA CITY
BURBANK
Great Public Schools Now Neighborhoods of Need Number of Students in Public Schools with 2013 API less than 750
EL SERENO
BEVERLY HILLS
> 15k
15k - 19.9k
20k
- 30k
students
students
students
WESTLAKEPICO UNION
TA
N SA
BOYLE HEIGHTS EAST LOS ANGELES ON
M A IC
VERMONT SQUARE SOUTH LOS ANGELES
VERMONT SLAUSON SOUTH GATE
WATTS-WESTMONT
A ATT
NH
MA
students’ ZIP codes determine what kind of education they will receive. Great Public Schools Now is focused on bringing high-performing public schools into areas
H
consistent across Greater Los Angeles. Far too often,
EAC
Access to a high-quality public education is not
NB
Focus neighborhoods
Great Public Schools Now’s efforts work with and within these communities to serve students well and increase access to instruction that will prepare them for college or careers.
where few, if any, exist. As a result, we have identified ten neighborhoods and surrounding areas where the needs are greatest and will be the focus of Great Public Schools Now’s efforts. These neighborhoods are (in alphabetical order):
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(as measured by API), last year’s Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC), and high school dropout rates. Poverty levels are based on both Free and Reduced Price Meals (FRPM) percentages of student populations and income levels of residents. For illustration purposes, the
Boyle Heights/East LA
South Los Angeles
map here shows each area based on the Los Angeles
El Sereno
Vermont Slauson
Times’s neighborhood map.
Pacoima
Vermont Square
Panorama City
Watts-Westmont
South Gate
Westlake-Pico Union
These
neighborhoods
present
pockets
of
low
opportunity, where too many students do not have access to high quality programs that match their
We identified these areas based on the performance of
potential and are not preparing them for long term
existing schools in the area and on the poverty level.
success. Great Public Schools Now’s efforts work with
Each neighborhood and district has clusters of under-
and within these communities to serve students well
performing schools, coupled with a few high-performing
and increase access to instruction that will prepare
schools, measured by prior academic attainment
them for college or careers.
great public schools now: high-quality
public schools for los angeles students
Identifying high-quality schools in areas of need Great Public Schools Now is committed to funding public schools of any type if they meet two criteria: (1) they must be high-quality or have the potential to be high quality, and (2) they must serve students in poverty well. To determine whether a school’s student population
for replication a high quality school, using multiple
is high-need, it can be evaluated by both FRPM
measures that may include state assessment results
percentages and income level of the neighborhood; the
(with and without accounting for differences in student
State of California defines high need as communities
populations),
where more than 55% of students are eligible for free
rates, college readiness metrics, equity measures, and
and reduced lunch or are English Language Learners.
transparency and accountability to the families they
Defining quality, though, is more complex at this moment. Even as the State of California navigates changes to its public school assessment and accountability system, Great Public Schools Now will seek to identify
student
retention
rates,
graduation
serve. Great Public Schools Now may also consider public schools that may not yet meet these high-quality thresholds but that have exhibited strong academic growth and are poised to continue to improve.
Funding priorities Great Public Schools Now has identified four priority areas for its investment to assist charter public and district public schools in expanding their capacity to serve students in need. They are (1) community outreach and engagement, (2) teacher and leadership pipeline and support, (3) facilities, and (4) school replication grants. Though these four areas will be the priorities for Great Public Schools Now, they do not exclude support in other areas consistent with our stated goal.
1 community outreach and engagement If this effort is to be successful, the continuous engagement and support of parents and community
Great Public Schools Now envisions a multi-year effort that honors families’ engagement and authentic advocacy for greater equity and access to great schools.
members must be a central component. Great Public Schools Now envisions a multi-year effort that honors
with community based parent groups to ensure that the
families’ engagement and authentic advocacy for greater
families we aim to serve have multiple opportunities for
equity and access to great schools. Great Public Schools
engaging in their children’s education.
will continue to engage directly with stakeholders— including public school students and their parents, teachers and representatives of school districts and community-based organizations—in the creation and expansion of high-quality public schools throughout Greater Los Angeles.
Moreover, Great Public Schools Now will collaborate with the district and city leaders to create an environment supportive of the growth and sustainability of highperforming public schools. Great Public Schools Now will work to strengthen the policy and civic environment that will help to sustain and grow high-quality public
Great Public Schools Now will support the growth
schools, where collaboration and exchange of best
or creation of schools with the participation of local
practices between the traditional and charter public
communities. The Great Public Schools Now team plans
school sectors leads to more rapid and sustainable
to spend significant time and energy reaching out to
transformation and high performance. Great Public
parents and community members to better understand
Schools Now will seek to facilitate an active coalition
the kinds of schools they want for their children. Parent
of political, business, faith, civic, district, teacher and
voices are far too frequently absent from discussions
parent leaders that supports policies that will benefit
about Los Angeles’ school system. Great Public Schools
all students, and craft a children-first agenda for Los
Now will work with multiple organizations and directly
Angeles.
great public schools now: high-quality
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2 teacher and leadership pipeline and support Los Angeles is fortunate to have thousands of skilled teachers and school leaders who are committed to ensuring that every child receives an excellent education. However, enrollment in teacher preparation programs across the state is rapidly declining. According to the California Teacher Credentialing Commission, enrollment has fallen by more than half in teacher preparation programs across the state between 2008
range of roles, and, unsurprisingly, the position is subject to high rates of burnout and turnover. A recent report by the School Leaders Network found that 50 percent of new principals are not retained beyond their third year of leading.4 Demands are arguably the highest for principals who establish new schools or attempt to turn around chronically low-performing schools. These individuals need a more personalized training experience that develops different skills than are required of principals taking over established, highquality schools.
and 2012,2 from 42,245 to 19,933; additionally, large numbers of teachers are expected to retire over the next decade. Moreover, the introduction of new and more rigorous standards, the growing role of technology in classrooms and increased attention to how to help English
Language
Learners
succeed
academically,
A key goal of Great Public Schools Now is to ensure that new and existing Los Angeles public school teachers and leaders receive the highest-quality preparation.
are placing higher demands on educators, even as specialized fields like special education and STEM instruction are severely shorthanded.
Great Public Schools Now hopes to work with existing
A key goal of Great Public Schools Now is to ensure that new and existing Los Angeles public school teachers and leaders receive the highest-quality preparation. Great Public Schools Now is also committed to helping schools recruit a teaching and principal cadre that is diverse— in terms of experience and racial and socioeconomic background—and that can fill historically hard-tostaff positions in science, mathematics and special education. It is equally important to support school leaders in creating the conditions within schools to retain high performers and to develop teacher leaders to serve in critical roles as grade level and department chairs, mentors and to become the next generation of school leaders.
and new organizations to better prepare and support Los Angeles public school teachers. This may include grants to traditional and alternative-route teacher preparation programs (e.g., teacher residencies and intern programs) and partnerships with other preservice training organizations. Great Public Schools Now will have a specific focus on programs that, through recruitment and/or training, are helping to address ongoing shortages in fields like STEM (science, technology,
engineering,
and
math)
and
special
education and the need for a more diverse teacher force that better reflects the backgrounds of Los Angeles students. For school leaders, Great Public Schools Now will
Great Public Schools Now will also seek to support future school leaders and provide ongoing support and coaching to current principals working in GPSN partner public schools. The importance of an effective principal cannot be overstated (research has found that principals alone account for 25 percent of a school’s total impact on student achievement).3 Principals fill a staggering 2 California Teacher Credentialing Commission. Annual
support
organizations
that
provide
differentiated
training programs for rising leaders for new district or charter public schools and coaching for returning principals for new charter or district schools to improve their practice, develop opportunities for teacher leaders and create the conditions that not only enhance student success (such as providing better coaching and support for teachers) but also retain and encourage the input of high-performing teachers.
Report on California Teacher Preparation Programs for the Academic Year 2012-13. October 2015.
3
3 Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership
that
works:
From
research
to
results.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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great public schools now: high-quality
4 School Leaders Network. “Churn: The High Cost of Principal Turnover.” October 2014.
public schools for los angeles students
3 facilities Every student in Los Angeles has the right to learn in a safe, clean, positive learning environment. Yet identifying and securing adequate facilities remains the most significant barrier to opening new charter public schools in Greater Los Angeles.
4 school replication grants for all types of schools Great Public Schools Now plans to support the growth or expansion of high-quality public schools or proposed schools with the potential to be high-quality in Los
Though Proposition 39 gives charter public schools the
Angeles neighborhoods with the greatest need (i.e.,
right to “reasonably equivalent” facilities, district space is
those where large numbers of low-income families
limited and can be unreliable. As a result, many charter
reside and that lack high-quality public school options).
public schools choose to build their own facilities or
Schools that receive grants from Great Public Schools
buy and renovate existing buildings. Others are able
Now may include any type of high-performing public
to secure long-term leases in commercial buildings,
school, including charter public schools, district magnet
churches or other properties.
schools, pilot, Partnership for Los Angeles schools and
Great Public Schools Now will employ a range of solutions to assist charter public schools in financing long-term or permanent facilities, including subsidizing
other district public schools, provided they demonstrate a track record or significant potential to be successful on various performance measures.
lease and debt service costs directly or by providing
Grants to new or expanding high-quality public schools
grants to nonprofit real estate developers. Great Public
will ensure that sufficient resources are available during
Schools Now may also seek to incentivize collaboration
the first three to five years of growth in order to stabilize
by mitigating some of the costs of co-location on district
operations and achieve long term financial sustainability
operated and independent charter public schools.
beyond philanthropic support.
Grant-making Process and Next Steps Great Public Schools Now knows that the most effective
programmatic investments – to ensure great schools
path to building successful school environments where
grow where the students need them the most.
students can thrive is to focus on a ‘whole school’
More specific funding guidelines will be forthcoming in
model of growth and replication, where the right
Fall 2016, but our efforts will be directed to prioritize
autonomies ensure that every aspect of the school is
proposals that will serve the highest concentration of
driven by the mission to succeed. Therefore, Great
students in need within our priority neighborhoods and
Public Schools Now will make targeted investments
across our four focus areas of work.
across
multiple
organizations
–
not
general
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CONCLUSION Great Public Schools Now is committed to dramatically expanding educational opportunity in Greater Los Angeles. We will achieve this goal by identifying what’s working in existing high-performing public schools and expanding or replicating those schools so more students can have access. We will work with parents, educators, school leaders, community groups, civic leaders, LAUSD and other stakeholders and advocates throughout Los Angeles as we pursue this effort. And we will not rest until every student has access to a high-quality public school in his or her neighborhood.
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